6 best 4k UHD TVs for 2019 – how to pick between Samsung, Sony, Panasonic and more

Look sharp - it’s time to join the resolution revolution

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Full HD, which along with iPods and Westlife, was all the rage in the Noughties, has given way to 4k UHD (Ultra HD). 4k tellies now boast four times as many pixels as their HD predecessors (8 million, if you’re counting). As a result, today’s TVs look sharper than ever before.

But what screen should you buy? In this guide, we’ll explain the benefits of upgrading to 4k, bust some 4k jargon, cherry pick some impressive 4k TVs and even give you a simple way to work out your ideal UHD screen size.

What can you watch in 4K?

The UK leads the world when it comes to 4k content. In fact, we’re spoilt for choice. Sky, BT and VirginMedia are awash with 4k programmes, and it’s a standard fixture on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Even the BBC, via iPlayer, has been flirting with the format.

The Greatest Showman, Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom, Deadpool 2, Ocean’s 8 and A Quiet Place are just a handful of recent movies currently screening in 4k.

Sport is another big beneficiary. Premier League footie, boxing and Formula 1 all reveal more in 4k UHD.

HDR

And then there’s HDR (High Dynamic Range). This partnering technology allows 4k TVs to show extreme bright highlights for greater realism. Of course, it’s worth remembering that not all HDR TVs are created equal. You get what you pay for.

Buying tip: Cheap 4k HDR sets may seem like a bright idea, but they generally won’t perform as well as premium HDR models. Like lightbulbs, some sets just go brighter.

Screen size

4k TV screen sizes typically vary between 43- and 65-inches (although as we’ll see, you can go even larger). To appreciate their resolution improvement, bigger is always better. 4k pixels are so densely packed together, you won’t see distracting image structure, even on the largest of panels.

This is one reason why demand for larger screen sizes is growing exponentially. According to the industry analysts at IHS Markit, average new TV screen sizes are growing at around an inch per year.

Which gives us a helpful formula: Take the screen size of your current TV, then add an inch for every year you’ve had it. So now you know the screen size of your next TV…

There are some cracking deals to be had on the 4k TV front at the moment, none more so than this 8-Series model from Samsung. The 55-inch version is widely available for £729. It may not have the finesse of Samsung’s high-end QLED models but, for the cash, offers a lot of tempting tech.

With its thin bezel and smart central pedestal stand, the set is dressed on the right side of fashionable, and the specification is impressive. It has bright HDR, wide cinematic colour, and excellent off-axis viewing.

It’s also a good choice for joystick jockeys, thanks to an excellent low lag Game mode. Good news if you’re a Fortnite fan.

And while you can’t expect too much on the audio front, you can always pair the TV to Bluetooth headphones for private listening late at night.

If you really want to super-size your 4k movies, it pays to think big. Really, really big. This LG 70-inch mega-screen borders on IMAX magnificence – yet the price is a snip.

The set uses LG’s own 4k Active HDR to make the most of 4k sources and while it doesn’t offer a profound black level performance, pictures are wonderfully bright and dynamic, making this monster perfect for big sporting coverage.

It’s great to live with too. LG’s own webOS smart platform is one of the most intuitive available. It boasts LG’s own ThinQ AI voice control, works with Google Assistant and is arguably one of the best served when it comes to smart apps.

In addition to Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, there’s Now TV. So you really can watch Game of Thrones on a dragon-sized set.

One of the things we love about Panasonic OLED TVs is that they’re designed from the ground up to look great with movies. The company actually consults Hollywood creatives to fine tune colour, so that what you see at home is as close as possible to what movie-makers witness in their mastering suites.

The FZ802 is available for considerably less than the brand’s top of the range FZ952 models, but here’s a little secret: the two use exactly the same panel, Absolute Black Filter, and image processing technology. Ergo, this model is actually a bit of a steal.

It also employs clever colour processing technology for highly accurate skin tones and accurate primary colours. Naturally, the screen is fully smart, and features all key streaming service apps and catch-up TV services.

The only caveat is a fairly rudimentary sound system, so you might want to invest in a soundbar or speaker package. But then you were probably going to do that anyway, if you love home cinema.

Hands up if you like vibrant colour, thunderous contrast and almost supernatural levels of detail. Good, then this Philips OLED should be right up your street. The brand’s P5 image processor is one of the most sophisticated out there, with the ability to upscale pretty much anything to near UHD quality.

The set also has Ambilight, Philips’ funky mood lighting system which splashes coloured lights onto the wall behind. This lightshow can mimic onscreen hues (as if extending the image beyond the screen), or simply cast single colours.

It looks pleasingly upmarket, too, thanks to a neat brushed metallic bezel and widely spaced feet. Streaming services include Netflix, Amazon Video and YouTube, but it’s a little thin on catch-up services. You might want to invest in a streaming dongle.

Samsung’s preferred TV technology isn’t OLED, it’s QLED. They may sound much the same but they’re actually totally different. QLED sets benefit from the high-brightness and enhanced colour vibrancy of LED models and on the showing of the Q85R, OLED-style black levels too.

Once again, a direct LED backlight is used to enhance contrast and HDR precision. The set even uses artificial intelligence, in the form of a Quantum 4k image processor, to upscale sources for optimum clarity.

Even better, in amongst all the usual streaming and catch-up services, there’s an Apple iTunes Movies and TV app. Exclusive to Samsung, this removes the need for a separate Apple TV device to access your iTunes library.

Sony has really upped its game with the new XG95 line. This premium 4k flatscreen is stuffed with features, but that’s not the reason it’s slightly deeper than rival screens. It actually has a full array LED backlight, which requires a little more room, but the benefit is superior contrast and brightness control.

Couple this with top flight image processing, courtesy of Sony’s X1 Ultimate chipset, and you’ll be sure to impress the Joneses.

But it’s not just images which dazzle here. Sony has also fitted Acoustic Multi-Audio technology. To save you investing in a soundbar, the screen has extra sound relocating speakers on the rear, which give the impression that audio is coming from the screen itself rather than underneath.

A 4k telly that sounds as good as it looks, this big Sony is definitely one to shortlist.

Our ibuys experts give impartial advice on a range of products after testing them in real-world conditions. Prices are correct at the time of publishing but may vary slightly afterwards. If you would like to suggest a product to test or have a question related to ibuys, please email us on [email protected]

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